Circadian Rhythms and Their Impact on Aging

S. Michal Jazwinski, Ph.D. is the John W. Deming, M.D. Regents Chair in Aging, Professor of Medicine, and Director of the Tulane Center for Aging at Tulane University. His research on various aspects of aging has been funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIH) and private foundations, and it spans over thirty years. It includes genetic studies in model organisms and multidisciplinary studies in humans. Victoria P. Belancio, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Structural and Cellular Biology at Tulane University. Her research on retrotransposon-associated genomic instability has been funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIH) and private foundations. It includes projects investigating how circadian disruption impacts DNA damage induced by retroelements and whether this damage influences mammalian aging. Steven M. Hill, Ph.D. is the Edmond and Lily Safra Chair for Breast Cancer Research, Professor of Structural & Cellular Biology, and Director of the Tulane Center for Circadian Biology at Tulane University. His research on various aspects of circadian biology and breast cancer has been funded by the National Cancer Institute (NIH), the Army Department of Defense Breast Cancer Program, and private foundations, and spans over 25 years. His recent research efforts have focused on the impact of circadian/melatonin disruption by light at night on human breast cancer progression, metastasis, and drug resistance.

Circadian dysregulation and melatonin rhythm suppression in the context of aging.- Pulmonary diseases, a matter of time.- Circadian regulation of bone.- Aging and the circadian control of the gastrointestinal system: from the brain to the gut microbiome (and back).- Circadian system and aging in rodent models.- The circadian system and aging of Drosophila.- Circadian control of mitochondrial dynamics.- Circadian rhythms and proteostasis in aging.- Circadian clocks and mTOR signaling.- Aging and the biological clock.- Developing circadian therapeutics against age-related metabolic decline.- The possible role of epigenetics in the memory impairment elicited by circadian rhythm disruption.- Circadian sleep-wake activity patterns during aging.- Effects of physical activity on circadian rhythms in the elderly.